Marie Adam-Leenaerdt continued to explore the functionality of fashion this season.
The Belgian designer likes to explore the way clothes are shown and worn, she explained backstage ahead of the show, staged at the Grand Palais Immersif, a cavernous concrete event and exhibition space, with the runway a maze of barriers like security lines at an airport.
The setting and soundtrack, with the sounds of the crowd and public announcements, served to highlight creations that looked haphazardly put together for a hastily packed trip, intentionally so, in order to highlight the multipurpose fashion, designed to last, that the designer champions. There were plenty of strong wardrobe staples to take home from your travels amid the subtly surrealist styling.
“There are things that people know, strong symbols that transcend generations and last, and I wanted to explore the idea of how an item of clothing is displayed and how it is worn in real life,” she explained. “When you are in an airport and you watch people walking past, that’s a little like a real-life fashion show.”
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The Belgian designer worked closer to the body than usual, taking a photo of a jewelry presentation display as her starting point for a series of dresses in black or nude velvet with high necklines and padded shoulders that underpinned her collection. They were worn alone, with striking necklaces, or underneath pieces like a strappy mesh sequin dress, as she explored the notion of the living body as the mannequin.
A giant bandana was draped as a dress. Layered sweaters were paired with slinky back-slit skirts and pants belted on, apron-like, their tailored legs dangling. Loose tailored jackets, complete with leather belts at their hemlines, were affixed with long, removable skirt flaps. Loose print dresses had tie details to make the silhouette more versatile, and one even featured a clothes peg cinching the back.